pretty bird, smart bird

Pearl-fect

2011-09-04T12:03:00.001-04:00

Kate Spade

With a black sheath dress or over a gray sweatshirt...

i'm ready for my close-up

2011-08-13T22:14:00.000-04:00

or ready for anything really in this little number...perfect for fall...

jenniferelizabeth.com

like butter

2011-07-10T21:31:00.000-04:00

my new favorite shoe brand? butter. i have just discovered them on endless.com and they might now be my new go to brand for show-stopping colors in classic shapes, in other words, my go to shoe for a bad (or REALLY GOOD) day. now i just have to start saving up...

the duchess

2011-06-20T18:28:00.000-04:00

"I'd rather shop than eat."

~The Duchess of Windsor~

every time

2011-05-18T20:36:00.000-04:00

Tucker, gets me every time...

they said it

2011-05-18T20:30:00.000-04:00

seche vite in french means dry quickly-a utile name for a seriously utile product. i should have prefaced this by telling you that i cannot paint my nails to save my life. they usually look like i dipped my fingertips in their entirety in red paint followed by two or three days where I wait for it to rub off all but the actual nail- none of which matters because even so i end up with fabric crosshatches and pieces of lint dried into the lacquer at which point i just wait for the color to chip off entirely which is when i usually just decide to never paint my nails again. this is my basic method/cycle for nail painting, fascinating i know.

however, this top coat has changed my outlook. it dries shiny and super fast so i know the crosshatch situation is taken care of which makes me take better care when painting my nails which makes me avoid the macabre bloody fingertips look all together. love it.

seche vite, $8, beauty stores

Pink stripes

2011-05-04T16:12:00.000-04:00

I need five hundred and fifty dollars and an excuse to wear this. ... Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

If you think it's been a long time since we posted, it's been even longer since the other bird and I hung out. Last night we had dinner for the first time in four months. Needless to say we've both had a busy spring. Here's to summer and more free time for posting!

a spring time balance

2011-03-28T11:52:00.000-04:00

here is a little something i am loving now:

milky neutral vases with a vibrant neon flower.

it pushes toward a summer time color kaleidoscope but tempers the blast of color with a muted vase to slowly wake you up from winter. i love the idea in big bunches too but with the price of flowers in new york i personally have been loving the idea on a smaller scale with a bud vase and one to three blooms. i keep mine next to my computer so i have a little bit of natural beauty to keep my days on the computer in perspective. enjoy!

Orange and Coral Juliet Rose, Whole Blossoms

Bud vases, West Elm, $6

Flower and Vase Color Combo Ideas left to right: Red and Celadon, Purple and Aqua, Pink and Mint, Magenta and Tan, Yellow and Olive, Orange and Grey (currently on my table!)

Ah, Lucky!

2011-03-25T14:35:00.002-04:00

Spring Work Wardrobe

2011-03-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

Spring Work Wardrobe:

A Chambray Shirt

A tweed foil print skirt

A floral silk shell

An army green sequin pencil skirt

A mulberry colored mid-length circle skirt

A nude lace top

Cropped Navy Trousers

Coral Silk TShirt

And, piece de la resistance: a ruffled silk trench

I'm working on possible combos with accessories so here are a few of my ideas and please send me yours too! I am working on learning how to make several key pieces work for me forever so if you have another outfit idea style away!

Combos:

1. Chambray Shirt tucked into Foil Print Tweed Skirt

Accessory: Big Gold Man Watch

2. Silk Shell with Cropped Navy Trousers and Trench

Accessory: Fuchsia Lipstick

3. Coral T with Tweed Skirt

Accessory: Ladylike Chain Purse in Emerald or Camel Color

4. Silk Shell tucked into Mulberry Circle Skirt

Accessory: Red Suede Heels

5. Coral T with Sequin Skirt

Accessory: Wedge Sandals

6. Silk Shell with Sequin Skirt

Accessory Mustard yellow clutch and strappy gold heels

7. Chambray Shirt with Cropped Navy Trousers

Accessory: Silver Braided Belt over the shirt at the waist

8. Lace Top with Boyfriend Jeans and Trench

Accessory: My grandmother's antique locket

a beautiful mind

2011-03-09T17:38:00.000-05:00

"Beauty is an experience, nothing else."

~D.H. Lawrence~

The best souvenirs.

2011-03-03T09:34:00.000-05:00

Shopping on a visit to Emily this weekend, I went a little nuts. I bought a pair of sandals, a vintage navy polka dot dress, a creamy sweater with mustard flower appliques (you know me and mustard florals...), and a horse-print sundress that, regarded by non-daiquiri-clouded eyes, might actually qualify more as a shirt and I'll be doing squats from now until May if I ever hope to wear it. Also found in the sale rack at Anthropologie a dress I had stalking on eBay since last summer, where it is currently selling for $119. It was the only one left, in my size, and marked down to much less than $119, plus I had a gift card. Score!

My favorite clothing souvenir, though, was the Peaches record store t-shirt Chris got for me. If there's one thing I like more than mustard florals, it's vintage fruit!

pretty birds at the oscars

2011-03-02T12:42:00.001-05:00

some of my favorites:

above photos via Lucky.

above photo via Huffington Post

aove photo via Just Jared

smart birds and the money train

2011-03-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

so, if i made new year's resolutions one of them this year was to reassess my budget, buy everything with cash and pay off those student loans. so, how did i start? by reading two books that helped me look at my finances as a long arc and create an action plan: The Total Money Makeover and Get a Financial Life. I furthered those savings by getting one book at the library for free and getting the other on Amazon for a penny! Yup, a penny.

Then I signed-up for Mint. This is a total money management website that puts all my money, investments, debt, credit cards, loans into one interface for me to see simultaneously. So I could actually see where that penny went and categorize it according to purpose and then see breakdowns and pie charts of how much money I am spending on say my clothes, my cell, or my financial education.

Next I subscribed to LearnVest. This is a money managing site for women that covers everything from which beauty products to splurge vs. save on to the best apps to invest in to how to invest in the stock market. An even cooler feature is that they have several free bootcamps that you can subscribe to. They send you daily (or weekly if you prefer) emails that give you 1-3 steps to take this week to achieve your goals. I am currently subscribed for the get out of debt bootcamp and the cut your costs bootcamp. Awesome.

Anyway, all of this is a preamble to two money saving tricks that I tried yesterday that totally worked. One of my emails mentioned an app that monitors items that you are watching online and considering buying and tells you who has the cheapest rates and when they go on sale. Cool right? But even cooler, they mention that you should also check back, up to a week after you bought an item, and if it goes on sale even after you have purchased it, call and ask for a refund of the difference. Really, I thought this would never work and what I would have to do is re-buy the item on sale and return the pricier one but then I pay the shipping twice, which does not make me save money and then I just give up and pay the higher price.

Regardless, I tried it and it worked! I bought the shirt below at Macy's on Sunday night for $45.99 and Tuesday afternoon it went on sale for $26.99, so I called and asked for the refund and they gave it to me! That is $19 back in my pocket.

Then I was so excited that I figured I would try to get back a processing fee that Overstock charged me in November (for those of you unaware about processing fees this was an item that I ordered online for $89 and then returned which Overstock only refunded HALF OF THE PRICE for because there was a hair on it. Hence the processing fee was that someone had to run a lint roller over an item, hence I was paying $45 dollars for someone to do 6 seconds of work and I am pretty sure Overstock is not paying their warehouse employees $40 per every 6 seconds so I was not having it.) Anyway, the order specialist put me on hold for less than a minute while he checked with his manager and then returned the $45 dollars back to my card and apologized. So kudos to them for great customer service and kudos to me for "making" a grand total of $64 yesterday. Try it. I'm obsessed.

Tight on time

2011-02-24T11:25:00.002-05:00

Just dropping in to say that Target's $7 Merona tights are the best ones ever!!! And Gap's $16 tights pretty much suck! Too shiny, too blotchy. Miss you all....

pretty bird

2011-02-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

my newest pretty bird obsession:

Asos

not guilty

2011-02-02T11:46:00.001-05:00

In Afghanistan women can be imprisoned for leaving a husband who beats them, for not marrying the man their parents promised them to in childhood, for just being accused of having an affair. These women can even be imprisoned to serve the time for a crime the man she belongs to committed. What proof do the authorities need? The word of two men who say that she should be imprisoned. And here is the worst part of it: their female children are imprisoned with them.

What can we do? Buy this shirt. The proceeds go to The Afghan Women's Justice Project who helps non-profits provide proper nutrition, fix the condemned buildings they serve their sentences in, offer literacy classes for inmates and their children and last it trains wardens on human practices.

Thanks always to Marie Claire who uses their valuable print space to inform women of projects that matter. I always appreciate that you are not a vapid publication which is why you are one of the few magazines that I will spend my hard earned dollars on.

Thank you thank you thank you to all who do this work.

Please see AWJP for more information on how you can help

Vera and David sitting in a tree

2011-01-31T08:59:00.000-05:00

Starting February 11th Vera Wang is releasing a collection for David's Bridal. The collection, dubbed "The White Collection", consists of wedding dresses priced from $600 to $1400 and the bridesmaid line will be coming along in June. Maybe we should plan a wedding dress party just so we can all wear one...

would it be wrong to have another wedding just for that dress on the left?

oh la la

All Photos via The Huffington Post

P.S. As per our friend E. we also recently found out that Anthropologie is designing a wedding dress series. More information will be forthcoming as soon as I get the scoop.

oh la la rose gold

2011-01-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

i don't know why but i have become slowly obsessed with the soft pinkish glow of rose gold. i am a gold fan to begin with-it is the gypsy in me-but rose gold offers something softer but still striking that the woman in me really loves. and since i am already a watch fan, or as D., my BIL states it, "You love watches don't you, girl?"( my response? yes yes yes and they don't even have to work for me to wear them. true story.)

but the rose gold seems to me to be the ultimate lady's watch and maybe that is the catch because we girls now have so few reasons to be the ultimate lady-so little is expected of us that every time i put on lipstick people ask what the special occasion is. i mean, i am all for liberation but what about an occasional return to classic feminism, just once in a while? i think i'm going to try harder at it because it makes me feel truly lovely and i will be starting with rose gold on my wrist.

One of the few times I do not despise the branding nor the bling, very rare for me.
Nordstrom

I don't know that I think rose gold always goes with the sportiness of a chronograph style:
but somehow the square shape keeps it sophisticated.
Nordstrom

I also don't usually prefer a white face on watches because I want them to look seamless like a bracelet but it works here because the Roman Numerals put it in the "eternally classic" category.
I could wear this watch now or when I'm 60 and it will still work.
It looks like something Katharine Hepburn would have worn and we all know how much I love her.
Amazon

globes

2011-01-25T19:32:00.000-05:00

isn't that what she always wears?

nicole kidman: i want more.
halle berry: i want less.
megan fox: just stop it.
helena bonham carter: with the rest of them i may have been joking a little but this is seriously what she wears every time. le sigh. i still love her though.

it breaks my heart but...

natalie portman's look was way too fussy for me and for her i think. though i must also confess my undying love. forever and ever. seriously. since both of us were like twelve.

michelle willams: no. wait, no. and no. perfect hair, makeup, face but that dress is too 8th grade for me. i know you have that pixie gamine thing going on, and IT REALLY WORKS FOR YOU, but you are still a woman not a child.

heidi klum: nope. but who can blame that girl for trying? her life is golden no matter what and in that situation i might just wear whatever i want too.

clair danes: as much as i try, i don't care for this look. but i am glad that the pink made her super happy.

50/50

kaley cuoco: this dress fills my almost daily wedding dress daydream but i am going to say that hair needed to be a bit punched up and that was the wrong necklace. but she is still young and clearly on the right path.

diana argon: love the dress, love the necklace but what is with the 1990's prom hair? you are wearing cartier woman show off that neckline. i honestly would have preferred a bun.

mila kunis's dress. though the accessorizing was nothing special the dress was fantastic.

sandra bullock: love the dress but think the badass rocker hair totally opposed the super-romantic feel of the dress. and don't give me that song and dance about doing opposites with several parts of an ensemble bc i know how that works and this isn't it.

olivia wild: this dress looks incredible. and then she left her hair looking like she just came back from a day at the beach. ugh.

love love love

amber riley: i might have put a different belt with it but she looked like a goddess.

january jones: mother of god woman, work it.

tina fey: that lady just knows she looks killer in a navy dress. kudos to her for going velvet too.

elizabeth moss: for playing such an awkward character she sure nailed this.

christina hendricks: mother load. even though a side bun might have been better with the giant rose on her shoulder i don't care. this woman does nothing in a small way and I love her more and more for it every time.

eva longoria: this was admittedly safe but still stunning.

anne hathaway: i liked it. shoulder pads and all, though i might have preferred it even more without them.

julianne moore: awesome. love a redhead who is not afraid of color and she IS NOT.

kiera sedgwick: orange orange orange. you hippie beast you.

julie bowden: yay! who doesn't want to be covered in marabou all day?

Please see the gallery at the Golden Globes site for pictures.

courtesy of the Nate Berkus show...

2011-01-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

so, here is a really cool website that Nate Berkus mentioned on his show that i wanted to share with all the savvy birds out there. it is called 1SaleaDay and offers one electronic, one watch, one jewelry piece, and one family item at an enormous discount every day. case in point the citron studs below for....wait for it...$2.99 down from $89.99! i might just make this site my new start up screen...

speaking of which...

2011-01-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

as i did in the post below for a friend's birthday party, if you would like to send an event that you need an outfit for please feel free! let me know some critical information like the responses to the questions below and i will put up some outfits and accessories that you can buy online for your event.

1. What is the event?
   Example: Meeting the parents!, First Date, Throwing a Dinner party for my Colleagues

2. How do you want to come across?
   Example: Interesting, Sexy/Fun, Capable

3. How would you characterize your body?
   Example: Pear-sharped, Super-tall, Busty

4: What are silhouettes you are comfortable in?
   Example: A-line, Body Hugging, Wide Leg Pants

5. What would you never wear?
   Example: Mini-skirts, Sleeveless Outfits, Heels Higher than 2 inches

6. How would you describe your style?
   Example: minimalist, Romantic, Professional, Casual

7. Name someone who's style you love.
   Example: Halle Berry, Nate Berkus, Miranda Kerr

8. List some colors that you like/dislike on yourself.
   Example: LIKE: plum, chartreuse, creme
   DISLIKE: pastels, optic white

9. Give me some general sizes of yours.
   Example: 14, XS, Size 9 foot, 36 inch waist

10: Describe an outfit you love on yourself.
   Example: My favorite outfit is a white t-shirt and jeans with Frye boots, I love putting on my one-shoulder chiffon dress with gold foil, I can't get enough of my class black sheath and pearls.

let's say...

2011-01-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

let's say you are a lovely woman,
let's say you are thinking about having a birthday party
let's say you are hesitating bc you aren't used to doing nice things for yourself,

what do we say to that?

we say (say it with me now, birds)... DO IT!

and whether it is an intimate dinner party with a few friends or a happening cocktail party complete with mangotinis here are a few options for you...

Fanciful print with a sophisticated shape
M odcloth

Hot Shape, Fun Color
JCrew

Soft shaping in a birthday girl color
Anthropologie

Understated, interesting, and soft to the touch (like you!)
Modcloth

Beautiful colors and interesting patterns makes for great conversation with the cuties in the room
Anthropologie

Classic shape, subtle color and pattern mean you can wear some eye-catching shoes as well
Anthropologie

Nothing says home like a sweater and nothing says party like some sequins
JCre w

some winter shine

2011-01-06T10:33:00.000-05:00

so, heading into the worst winter months i am thinking about what little things i can do to tweak my quickly greying appearance and help me keep up my morale and so far these are the winners:

What: JK Jemma Kidd Year Round Body Glow
Where: Target, $25
Why: Because it imparts a beautiful glow to skin, reflecting light and adding luster. Mind you, I said glow, not tan, which means it is color free and works for all skin tones. Woop!

What: Stila Convertible Color in one of the Brightest Shades like Poppy or Gladiola (below)
Where: Sephora, $24
Why: Because the bright nature of these add life to the grey pallor of winter skin. They can be used on cheeks and lips which means you don't have to waste time trying to match such strong colors to your other cosmetics-you just need a swipe of defining mascara and voila! Also, these shades are much stronger in the compact so DON'T BE AFRAID. When you put them on they look like a beautiful version of wind-burnt skin without the actual wind and burning.

What: A Hair Glaze
Where: Drugstores, $9
Why: Because sometimes all your hair needs is a little kick to combat winter dryness and static. A colored glaze will punch up your color by depositing a teeny bit of pigment to your hair to make your color deeper. Or you can go for a clear gloss which will seal your cuticle and add a ton of shine. It will bring attention to the life in your locks and make a great contrast for the brightness of the makeup above.

What: Whitening Strips, $24
Where: Drugstores, $24
Why: Because you had too much wine over the holidays, first of all, admit it. Secondly, because brightening your teeth right now when all other color has left your face gives your look a pretty and natural focal point. And it will make you want to smile more which actually boosts your mood whether you are happy or not. This is science people. (Note: I prefer Rembrandt products bc all of them are enamel building in addition to being whitening but any whitening product will work).

What: The brightest shirt you can find.

Where: This one is from Spiegel, $29

Why: Because try as we might we can't always fake life in winter hair and skin but you can fake it with your clothing. Adding a bright color is surprising against all those winter greys and reflects color back onto your skin.

What: A Cape
Where: American Apparel, $159
Why: Because it will keep you warm, you are basically walking around in blanket but you won't look like a vagrant while you do it. But also bc adding a cape as a topper adds visual interest to anything you are wearing, you can have the world's ugliest Christmas Sweater under that cape and you would still look like the chicest girl in the room. However, if you want to up the ante imagine the chartreuse top above peeking out of it with poppy colored lips and cheeks and shining hair and teeth...just fantastic.

i'm impressed

2010-12-22T12:52:00.000-05:00

those of you who know me are probably aware that dark circles are one of my biggest beauty blights. it is probably too much daily reading or my penchant for red wine but either way they double exponentially during the holidays. and looking like i've had enough sleep gets harder and harder as the clock ticks down to new year's.

thus i love eye brightening pens, however they are not all created equal and let me tell you i have tried them all starting here:

Yves Saint Laurent

Touche Eclat

$40

So this is the industry standard. It wins all the beauty awards and yet, it does NOT work for me. It is too light, gives me raccoon eyes, and still shows my dark circles. And quite frankly for that price it better work miracles. So this one is out.

Benefit

Eye Brightening Pen

$20

So I equate this roughly with taking a white crayon and circling my eye with it. Maybe it is because of my olive skin but this was the least sophisticated of all my tries. However, if you are an ivory skinned diva this night be a great inner eyeliner and inner corner highlighter for those sleepy mornings.

Laura Mercier

Eye Brightening Pen

$30

This has been by far my favorite for YEARS. It comes in two colors based on your skin tone, it is creamy, light, and I almost always get comments on how nice my skin looks when I have this on. Love it love it love it and when I get Sephora gift cards this is usually what I stuck up on. However, for that price I do have to use it sparingly and especially at this time of year it just seems too decadent a purchase for myself.

Thus I come to my new favorite:

Garnier Nutritioniste

Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller

$12!!!!!!!

So I decided to try this bc I couldn't justify spending the $30 on Laura Mercier (still love you, Laura!) and boy am I glad that I did. It has caffeine which perks up under the eyes, concealer which covers with a bit of color, and has lovely creamy shine. I did notice that by the end of the day it can work into fine lines a bit but if you use a primer that is usually not a problem. And for that price it is great for daily use without the guilt of wasting it on things that are not special occasions. Really great filler for my Mercier at a really great price.

Every kiss...

2010-12-16T21:39:00.000-05:00

begins with...no i won't do it, i don't have the heart.

however, regardless of my love/hate relationship with the Kay commercials i do get sentimental about baubles given during the special occasions. i don't know why. it has something to do with having my own movie/memory montage of remembering through my pieces. it will go like this, "and these are the cameo earrings my husband gave me in Venice (true!) and this is the bracelet we found in an antique store in New Orleans (could be true one day), this is from the Christmas that... (you fill in your own blanks)." And here is some inspiration from the Effy Collection at Macy's:

Recently inspired by

2010-12-01T11:36:00.000-05:00

Navy and white striped blazers
Toggle coats
Herringbone coats
Coats with belts, coats in unexpected colors
Tall tall boots in camel or taupe
Creamy brogues, still.
Modern jewelry
Vintage shoes
Wine colors
Plaid shirts
Mustard florals...always.

Help needed

2010-11-30T13:54:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of shimmying into that green and navy dress with some plum tights for a holiday party this season. But what color shoes, guys? I don't have any navy ones...black seems wrong...gray seems like too many colors. Maybe something to play on the plummy tights? I'm all about tights that match shoes. I like an uninterrupted line.

Must admit to being interested

2010-11-30T10:53:00.000-05:00

That's how happy I felt when I got engaged. I love how beaming they are.

I never thought I cared about Prince William but honestly I think it is so nice that these two are getting married. I think Kate is so beautiful and has such a clean and elegant style--a style that's not actually "fashionable" at all, and that's why it's so nice. She doesn't do trendy. I can't wait to see her wedding dress. Yay for them!

Notorious & Notable

2010-11-24T13:38:00.001-05:00

Transferred from mcny.com

Exhibit showing from

Sep 14 through Jan 2

Co-presented with the National Jewelry Institute, Notorious and Notable: 20th Century Women of Style highlights 80 prominent New York women who used their style, talent, or wealth to capture the attention of society and the media. The exhibition features a runway of original attire—much of it created by the most important designers of their times—and an impressive selection of jewelry crafted from the dawn of the 20th century to its close.

The exhibition features such celebrated New York women as Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Babe Paley, and Barbara Walters, as well as women from the arts world, including Isadora Duncan, Marian Anderson, Lena Horne, and Lauren Bacall. The exhibition offers an opportunity to encounter many of New York’s leading ladies past and present through their fashion and jewelry.

just doing my part

2010-11-24T10:12:00.000-05:00

i am not a big black friday fan- maybe bc i have too many people to shop for the idea of starting my shopping the last week in november is just too much for me. i am sure i get this from my mom who also starts buying presents in the summer and stashing them away. bc of this tendency my christmas shopping is done, wrapped, shipped, and already under the bookshelf in the library (bc i am however a last minute decorator so i thus far have no tree!).

regardless though i thought that i should offer you all the savings that were sent to me after i ordered from these sites. enjoy and if you are a black friday shopper, please don't trample each other-remember your kindness above all else! love love and lots of sweet potatoes!

Who: Talbots
What: 25% off and free shipping
Code: 029913452

Who: Tinyprints
What: $20 off orders of $99+
Code: TP1210

Who: Banana Republic
What: 35% of on Thursdays
Code: DECTHUR35

Who: JCrew
What: 20% off for cardmembers
Code: 099102175972

Who: Bath and Body Works
What: Free item up $13 with any $10 purchase
Code: F103460

Who: Boden
What: 25% off and free shipping
Code: CF91260C

why, you ask?

2010-11-22T12:12:00.001-05:00

i never really understood cake stands. they always felt to me like something that only bakeries or diners had and even then you needed a grown-up to pick up the glass lid for you. maybe this holdover from my childhood is why i didn't think that they applied to me until recently.

last year jhubbs and i made a cake for our friend who was visiting. it was a creamy, crazy two layer triple chocolate concoction that oozed sophistication and glamour. we were so proud. and then we were stuck, what were we to do with it? we literally had nowhere to put it. our options were a cracked dinner plate the whole cake wouldn't actually fit on or a football themed nacho tray my husband received as a gift. needless to say, we went with the nacho tray and as we sat there eating with our beautiful dark chocolate concoction in the middle of the LSU nacho tray i began to think that maybe it was time for a cake stand.

since then i have been looking for one that is classic, that will work for the square cakes that i also make, and that wouldn't cost me a fortune. finally, i found it at kohls.

it was originally $50, on sale for $24.99 minus $20 of free kohls cash i got for shopping there before and free shipping because their website was down (amazing costumer service by the way, so nice). so what did i pay for it? the $4.99 and tax which came to $8.18. E., this should do you proud!

and i was so ecstatic about the savings on the cake stand that i also bought this set of mini-cake, cupcake, or candy dishes. $24 at macy's and now our table will have grown up dimension and we won't have to put aluminum foil on our beautiful creations anymore. so utile, so pretty. now i just have to make my famous christmas crackers to fill them!

you know i love peacocks, right?

2010-11-22T09:33:00.001-05:00

this is a true story: i have been imagining a peacock dress for sometime now. in my mind whenever i became a movie star or we won the lottery i imagined i would have a peacock dress commissioned for myself. it would have a simple corset bodice and full skirt literally just covered in layers of peacock feathers. i look great in that fantasy by the way. regardless, last night, while trying to find peacock feathers to do my holiday decorating this year i came across my dress. if this were never never land i would believe that i actually dreamed it into being. actually, let's face it, i still basically think i did.

www.stylefrizz.com

Sugarboo Designs

2010-11-19T19:27:00.001-05:00

you know what makes me feel like a grown-up? looking at artwork. i love it. and yet i can never seem to commit to buying it because i always worry about what a piece "means about me", its form, how it should be viewed, what to do to honor it...which always makes me walk away from a sale.

however, i may have found a design that doesn't make me feel like an incompetent grown-up and yet still lets me feel like a kid: Sugarboo Designs. i came across their picture frames several years ago and thought, "When I grow up I and can afford it, I would love to put my wedding picture in one of those frames." however, more recently it is their artwork that i am loving because it has a vintage yet green aesthetic that works well with any room and shares messages that i would love to portray anywhere in my home. i think this might be art that i am willing to commit to...

Oops, I did it again

2010-11-11T16:50:00.000-05:00

Ahem. Last one. I promise.

J.Crew ivory fisherman's cable knit sweater, $12.50. Inspired by this.

Scotch blood

2010-11-10T11:50:00.000-05:00

I am a weird shopper.

I'm always looking, but seldom buying. I pop in to H&M, Anthro, and J. Crew on my lunch breaks, and leave empty handed every time. The last thing I bought in a store was deeply discounted Ellen Tracy tights at the Bay Ridge Century 21 (and even then I put two pairs back, which I'm still regretting). I have unfulfilled shopping carts all over the Internet: Kohls, Zappos, Urban Outfitters, Old Navy. I've had the same classic London Fog trench coat in my Overstock.com shopping cart for MONTHS, and even with the 10% off coupon they just sent me I can't seem to bring myself to buy it. I have major guilt issues when it comes to buying things for myself.

The exception, it seems, is eBay. Over the last two months I have bought the following items, for a combined total of $38.76, not counting shipping. From this you can subtract the $25 or so PayPal credit I had from selling those Steve Madden cowboy boots after all.

Anthro floral shrug in fall colors

Charter Club striped cardigan (stripes = wear with everything)

J.Jill floral blouse, inspired by this outfit

Nine West polka dot blouse ($1.29!) inspired by the '70s polka dots that are everywhere this season

Anthro silk dress ($16.50!), inspired by the Victorian florals I'm constantly in love with

Limited skirt, which is a bit more mini than I was expecting, but that I'll pair next summer with my peach tank and nude Rodarte for Target lace cardigan, inspired by this outfit

So anyway, it could be much worse. But still, I've got to put myself on eBay hold. If nothing else, it's resulting in a closet that resembles a garden.

sanctuary

2010-11-10T09:29:00.000-05:00

even more than usual for me, in the winter my home becomes a sanctuary. it is warm and inviting and there are little touches to brighten my day until the sun peaks again. here are some of the top items on my list for making my home more luxurious this winter:

JHubbs and I personify Dorothy Parker's couple that "struggles along on cheese and kisses" and this would make the struggle much more glamorous.
potterybarn.com

Filled with a little eggnog and brandy I could not imagine a prettier spectacle sprinkled in nutmeg.
overstock.com

Unless it were maybe some mulled wine in this little decanter.
overstock.com

Whether I am collecting pine cones or change it would be thrilling in these beautiful bowls. lunareshome.com

Adding an extra layer of texture and warmth to the bedroom is critical to the aesthetic and it means you can keep your thermometer (and your heating bill) lower.
kohls.com

Having a place to store winter vegetables and glass bottles to be recycled keeps me organized and the heavy open wire frame keeps me stylish.
sundancecatalog.com

Cashmere anywhere in the winter makes me happy but having an oversize throw in a neutral (or that lush green for some contrast) keeps my home inviting to everyone who comes over with cold tootsies.
overstock.com

the bean

2010-11-08T14:31:00.000-05:00

running through my holiday shopping list and looking for gifts for all sorts of people i refer back to l.l. bean which i admit i haven't glanced at in awhile. and now it is not only on my holiday list for others, i also have my eye on that polka dot dress because their signature line pieces continue to be timeless. i mean truly, that dress could be from the 40s but is equally applicable now. you know why? bc they are literally going back into their archives and remaking their classics with updated fits. hence they are not only an investment but could be heirlooms if you treat them right. 50 years from now my grandchild is going to have it made!

In addition, I know we have a few boys birds who stop by from time to time to check us out and the bean has some awesome duds for them as well: comfy, unpretentious, and nice to cuddle on...

Blackberry bramble

2010-11-05T11:24:00.000-04:00

It took me a while to fall for Madewell, because I would get so annoyed walking into their store and being confronted with $60 tank tops, but I can't lie. This dress is really pretty.

You guys know that I post things here because I never buy anything, right? I'm not running out going all crazy with my credit card, don't worry.

(Back to Madewell: I can't, however, get behind the high heel clogs that certain people seem bent on pitching.)

simply lovely

2010-11-04T18:50:00.001-04:00

so, the little purple jacket that i put in the last post has been haunting me and i decided to take a look at the rest of the simply vera vera wang line for this season. bc i do not have a kohls in the city i cannot see the collection in person and sometimes forget to check it out online. however, i am super glad that i remembered bc it is still chic and well done and now has me lusting after a few pieces (seen below) particularly the orange ruffle sleeve sweater bc i haven't seen anything like it anywhere else and that black wool wrap jacket bc it is just timeless.

toppers

2010-11-04T15:57:00.002-04:00

fantastic little toppers that work through the holidays and into the new year for casual and formal events:

LC Lauren Conrad for Kohls
www.kohls.com

Simply Vera Vera Wang
www.kohls.com

Navy Sequin Blazer
www.victoriassecret.com

it takes two

2010-11-03T11:39:00.001-04:00

no, seriously, you only need two pieces to make you ready for this season. look at any great outfit as we move into winter and what does it have? an amazing fabric and a high-interest point. my two picks:

Velvet and Pearls:

sundancecatalog.com

anthropologie.com

Lace and Metal Bobbins (and pearls, don't judge-they are an actual addiction):

freepeople.com

anthropologie.com

(and here's the close-up bc i can't think of too many other things i consider to be more beautiful
than pomegranate seeds...and they are a symbol of fertility! they are literally the woman's fruit!)

Gingham and glam

2010-11-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

These two sale tops are currently occupying a wistful shopping cart at Madewell.com ... I'd wear them separately, of course, but also think they'd look so splendidly unexpected together.

Want to live inside this photo

2010-10-29T09:44:00.002-04:00

This is perfection.

Via The Sartorialist.

take a (re)look

2010-10-26T20:25:00.001-04:00

at alloy because the price point is incredible, the new patterns are not cheesy knock-offs of something else, they are just new patterns and there is more chiffon than ever.

Classic Classic Classic

Grecian goddess mets bib necklace meets pretty

For every party you can think of

With skinny jeans and over the knee boots

Beautiful sophisticated colors, sexy but not overexposed shape

Too cute, though I'd mostly pair with flats

Change out the buttons for gold or tortoise shell and voila! great fall topper

With cropped pants and oxfords or tucked into a pencil skirt a la Joan from MM

Everyday utile but never boring

Lady lady ladylike

p.s. use code ALQ224M to get a 15% discount on everything and code ALQ on free shipping over $75.

p.p.s. want to try a boot trend? check out that section too. totally affordable for one season of wear.

Tip your waitress

2010-10-25T19:43:00.000-04:00

I've never in my life dyed my hair ... but after seeing this photo of Jessica Biel in Marie-Claire, I foresee a date at the beach next summer with a spy novel and a fresh-squeezed lemon.

What in the world ...

2010-10-21T15:50:00.000-04:00

For two years as a teenager I was "in love" with Robert Redford. Yes, this was during the 1990s; no, I wasn't a weird teen. Why? Why do you ask?

I was doing photo research (legitimately for work and no, not on Robert Redford) and I came across this:

A tiny part of me is saying, "Where can I get those shoes?" while the rest of me is saying, "I sincerely hope this was for a role and not his normal beachgoing wear??"

Good heavens.

Who's In?

2010-10-20T15:13:00.003-04:00

Women's Ethical Edge

Monday 11/1 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30
host:		Ny Society for Ethical Culture
where:		2 West 64 Street New York, NY 10023
price:		$15 program. $25 program & reception
rsvp:		online
rsvp/contact:		call 212-874-5210 x144

The promo reads:

A Conversation with Six Remarkable Women about How We can do things differently this year.

Guests Include:
Amy Goodman
Noami Klein
Gail Sheey
Susan Taylor
Marie Wilson
Abigail Disney

Women's Ethical Edge

The winners

2010-10-20T09:15:00.001-04:00

Well, it's too late for you to protest now, because I've already taken them out of the box and worn them outside, but the boot winners are ...

The Corso Como Rhonda.

They are almost perfect. In a universe ruled by me, the shaft could be a nudge higher and the heel could be a tad chunkier, but they fit like they were made for me and I love the color and the asymmetrical top and, really, everything. And trust me, I tried on just about every other pair in existence for Fall 2010.

I hesitated a long time over the Lucky Brands, but ultimately, upon trying them on for the third time, came to the conclusion that 17" shaft or no, they were simply too bulky and wide. From some angles they looked great and from others (for instance, my own vantage point looking down) it was as if my leg was swimming in a sea of leather. Wearing them, I felt like I could jump into a barn and start shoveling manure. They'd be great boots for a long country walk followed by a frolic through the sheep pasture. Which, while it sounds amazing, isn't exactly my current lifestyle.

This long, protracted(, and ultimately pretty silly) boot hunt made me realize that there are two kinds of riding boots in the world: equestrienne and rugged. The ones I wound up with were, surprisingly, the former; surprising because all along it was the rugged that appealed to me. But it's all good. I'll wear these into the ground for the next several years. And then ...

... dark brown or black, what do you think?
(Just kidding, husband!!)

if i could have just one thing...

2010-10-15T13:11:00.002-04:00

for any reason, at any time, for any upcoming occasion from christmas to "oh, it's just a tuesday"... this would be it.

i will speak no more about it bc it needs no words (except to say link to ann taylor yourself to see the really big version; the little picture barely does it justice)...

Pearl and Crystal Brooch Necklace anntaylor.com

mulberry...the color not the street

2010-10-14T18:19:00.000-04:00

you know what makes me feel sexy and pretty in winter? a color dark enough to feel sultry and pretty enough to feel feminine...mulberry. as holiday time approaches i cannot help thinking that it is the perfect accent for every outfit:

wear these to make a black dress feel more interesting:

nordstrom.com

wear this for thanksgiving with brown boots and a chunky sweater. then rewear for a holiday party with red lipstick and/or emerald green tights:

jcrew.com

wear these under anything to make you feel hot from the inside out on a really cold day:

barenecessities.com

replace your sheer hose with these and wear to work with your usual shift dress. you can act as if nothing has changed but you will feel incredibly different:


target.com

put these on instead of your usual neutral boot socks and be sure to pull them above the boot shaft to add some depth of color to your outfit:


urbanoutfitters.com

Keira royale

2010-10-14T14:13:00.000-04:00

Husband doesn't like Keira Knightley. He calls her "Skeletor" and scoffs at every movie she's in. I, however, have adored her since Bend It Like Beckham. And now, I adore everything about her outfit.

Carey Mulligan's is quite covetable, too. Photos from Zimbio via the always inspiring Moodboard.

just a little something...

2010-10-13T23:34:00.000-04:00

to light up my day.

these are the statement pieces...the single things, that when worn with any outfit-pajamas included- can make your day...nay your entire week. you do not even have to brush your hair with these pieces, in fact, they may look even better when you don't.

Tarnish Ruffle Ring, Nordstrom.com

Sorrelli Pendant Necklace, Sorrelli.com

Sorrelli Crystal Bird Necklace, Sorrelli.com

Sorrelli Wild Meadow Bracelet, Sorrelli.com (yes, i had to include all three. blame b. bird, my sorrelli goddess).

Emerald and Filigree Cuff, Maxandchloe.com

Feather Cap, Anthropologie.com (I have been lusting after this since MID-SUMMER. total insanity, i know).

Fur Wrap, Anthropologie.com (will go with every winter coat i own. every one.)

Finally, a store that shows the clothes in motion

2010-10-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

Anthropologie – October Outfits

Did you guys see this adorable video???? (that just arrived in my inbox five minutes ago). Okay, out of sheer stubbornness I reaalllly try not to drink the Anthropologie Kool-Aid but I want everything in it and, in fact, to be that girl actually. Oh wait, it's my city!! I totally could! Tomorrow. Bookstore. Flower shop. Cute hat. It's on.

Also, now I really want this dress:

The quest continues

2010-10-12T09:44:00.000-04:00

I guess the vague half-formulated mental look I am going for is as follows, though I realize it's a little all over the map (zip, no zip, slouchy, no slouch):

Most of these images are from the Madewell site, and yes, they do have boots for sale but they're $300 and look short.
Instead, going to see if I can try these on after work. And I haven't given up on the Lucky Brand ones. Maybe my zipper requirement is what's been throwing me off.

Please weigh in

2010-10-11T12:02:00.003-04:00

Okay guys, pardon the awful phone pictures. I'll spare you the boot hunt details to which M. and C. have been privvy, probably to to their chagrin (entering week #6!).

Option #1: Franco Sarto Panko. They zip up, but just barely (see that cuff? My leg is bulging out over it). I'm not sure they can get stretched because there's a decorative buckle that snaps (again just barely) over the zipper. However, I do like them. They are not quite as tall in the shaft as Option #2....and I'm worried I couldn't get them stretched to wear over jeans because of the snap. They definitely won't fit over jeans as is. But, if they could be stretched, they'd be super elegant and tough at the same time ... That zipper goes on the outer shaft, not inner, in case you're wondering.

Option #2: Lucky Brand Andria. These don't have a zipper, which was my requirement for spending three digits on a pair of long-sought riding boots. However, they pulled on and off easily, to my surprise and delight. They are also surprisingly tall (I'd give 'em a solid 17" inch shaft estimate, which is very VERY hard to find--trust me--I've been looking). The toe is rounder than the Franco Sartos, which is more of an almond shape. Question is, without a zipper, are they too bulky in the ankle to wear with dresses? Or is that okay and Frye-like?

Please ignore my outfit, especially my hideously unflattering jeans, which I have now traded in at Gap for a 30% off pair of their delightfully cut 1969 Curvys.

Update: here's another photo of the Lucky Brands. See? Bulky. But comfy! You can tell which way I'm leaning which is why I need you people to honestly tell me if I'll look like a clodhopper in them.

Adventures in odors, part 4

2010-10-11T08:58:00.001-04:00

Today I am wearing Marc Jacobs Daisy. Fresh and lovely right out of the bottle, it's rapidly morphing into "perfume" on my wrist. I don't think this one is a keeper. (Truthfully, I've fallen so in love with Jardin Sur le Nil that I don't actually want to find another one, but I'm following through as an intellectual exercise if nothing else.) Last week I wore a bergamot-scented one from Aedes (I can't recall the name or brand), which was nice but didn't leave much of an impression on me, perhaps because I applied it too lightly, so I'll give it another shot at some point.

You may notice that the blog looks a little different. We're still tweaking. But feel free to leave your comments or suggestions for aspects you'd like to see! Coming soon: post categories and lists of blogs we love and shops we suggest. Note that none of these are paid endorsements and we have not received courtesy items from anyone, just to be clear.

Key print

2010-10-08T16:10:00.002-04:00

I do not have a 23 inch waist.

But if you do, you should run not walk to buy this skirt.

mooncircus

2010-10-08T14:02:00.000-04:00

so, as per my last post i have now been frantically searching on etsy for someone who can make me a beautiful wrap dress. however, in my searching i came across mooncircus and want you all to know her. she makes beautiful dresses and clothes for any occasion but i am particularly in love with this one, which i think would be great as bridesmaid dresses or just for you to wear to pretty much anything else you could think of where you want to "the lovely girl over there."

and, i can with much certainty guarantee that nobody else there will have your dress. perfect.

(all pictures are the property of moonchild and they are, by the way, beautifully done and increase the value of the shopping experience enormously, in my opinion.)

and quite frankly, the two-tone satin sheath knee length skirt is something i am officially pinching pennies for!

who's that girl?

2010-10-08T13:46:00.000-04:00

walking to class the other day i saw a pretty, lithe little brunette fair-skinned bird wearing this outfit and i am now lusting to recreate it:

creme with black bird print dress (similar to the one posted on sofia's journal -super cool site if anyone wants to take a look by the way)

black trench coat-tightly cut but worn open

red flats-she wore faux leather but i would argue for suede (or faux suede for our PETA people. it's a texture thing but of course, we should still respect the animals).

and a beaten up gray leather-looking bag.

her hair was in a tousled bun and she was such the epitome of parisian chic meets harried american that i stopped to watch her walk away.

as a totally related side note (what is the opposite of non sequitur? sequitur?): i am now desperately seeking creme blackbird covered fabric and a tailor who can make me a wrap dress. if you know where to find either let me know!

oh nate berkus

2010-10-07T17:59:00.000-04:00

shopping on hsn.com (a whole other amazing site i will talk through with you) one day i came across the nate berkus greek key tray and saved for three months to get it for myself because i knew it would be the perfect compliment to my grey velvet ottoman/coffetable (i should tell you that i didn't even own the ottoman yet-i know, i know). anyway, since then i have been hooked on him. needless to say that when i stayed home sick one day and saw that we had a new show i decided to watch,with great results.

inspired by a recent episode of the nate show where christian siriano came and showed one down-on-her-luck bird how to fashion a single black dress three different ways on a budget i have decided to do so for my own fall wardrobe challenge. take a peek at my three options and then send me your suggestions! the best outfit that i get will get added to the post!

Above are my two basic pieces and I figure they need to be styled for studying, teaching, and going on a date with JHubbs. So...

Teaching:

Studying:

Date Night:

Adventures in odors, part 3

2010-10-07T09:49:00.000-04:00

Today I am wearing Hermes Jardin Sur le Nil, which I like very much--one for the frontrunner pile. Here is an article about how it was created.

Last night M. and I went to Aedes in the West Village. At the door, they asked us if we'd rsvp'd. Startled, we said, "Um, no..." They said, "Well, we're having an event. But come on in!"

A Parisian perfumer (with whose ouevre M. was quite familiar) was in the store signing bottles. "Prosecco?" proffered a clerk, clad like the others all in black. "Why yes, thank you," we said. Taking glass tumblers from a tray, we tried perfumes for about twenty minutes. At the counter, another haughty clerk sniffed our square black smelling papers, seeming to identify the perfumes' identity by his nose alone, and corked tiny sample vials. I came away with two samples and a third spritzed on my wrist, though it was hard to narrow down. (I'm learning that I like tuberose--the dominant smell in the Michael Kors I mentioned earlier--as well as citrus, which is what Jardin Sur le Nil makes me think of.) All the ones I smelled in that store were exquisite. I really, really don't even want to know what they cost!

The store was absolutely beautiful, a tiny dark glowing jewel box of antiques and crystal.

On a table near the checkout counter was a display of Laduree candles, another thing I don't want to know the cost of but that are highly covetable, while we're being all lavish and expensive on this blog here. Don't worry, thrift store posts to resume shortly.

Flower power

2010-10-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

As long as it's not boring for you guys, I'll keep you "posted" (ha!) on the Great Perfume Hunt of 2010. Don't worry, regular posts will intersperse these whiffy ones.

So, last night I stopped by another Sephora (and put on more Stila Cloud plus Stila's purple pencil eyeliner and some Nars lipgloss. What!?! They like for you to test things) and smelled a few more perfumes. I took a sample of Guerlain Pamplelune which I'm wearing on my wrist today. I'm open to it, but I don't think it's the one. When you first smell it, it has a really tangy grapefruit odor that is at first refreshing and rapidly becomes "bitter." But then you get a whiff of honeysuckle and you think, wow, this is a really complex scent.

On my person, though, it's got this tinge of something I can only describe as "powdery" that's kind of overpowering the grapefruit, and has totally obliterated the honeysuckle. It's not an unpleasant smell, but it just doesn't feel me.

I also took a sample of Marc Jacobs Daisy which I might wear tomorrow; it's a really light, flowery, enchanting scent, though it smells very "young," and I don't think I'm saying that just because of the name and the packaging. M. says it's not "distinctive" enough and she might be right ... it's kind of like a very high end Bath & Body Works spray. But, I mean, it smells delicious. We'll see.

I also sniffed Chanel Coco Mademoiselle and I think I maligned it yesterday--I might have been thinking of regular Coco. Coco M. is quite nice; again, not sure it's me, but the inside of my purse smells like it after I stashed the strip in there and it's not at all bad.

Scentual

2010-10-05T14:25:00.000-04:00

There are some things that are perhaps unnecessary in life but that it's nice to pass down, like fine china for example: Chris and I didn't register for any but my grandmother is giving us hers (when we have somewhere to put it), and I love that. I think perfume is another one of those things. I've never had a perfume of my own (not counting drug store body spritzers or the Gap scent that I hang onto because I love its honeysuckle smell, if not the chemical effect that arises around hour two). On my wedding day, my mom asked me if I had a perfume and when I said no, she said, "Here, dab on some White Shoulders, which is your grandmother's scent." So that was a nice memento to wear that day, and the smell of White Shoulders does always make me think instantly of my Nanny (and now, perhaps, my wedding day). Likewise, whenever I see a bottle of Chloe I flash back to the bottles my mom had on her dresser when I was growing up.

My friend M., though she would undoubtedly demur at the label, is a bit of a perfume expert (or at least, connoisseur), and she's been taking me out "taste testing" (scent sniffing?).

Here are the perfumes I've liked enough to obtain sample vials:

Hermes Jardin sur le nil
Stella McCartney Stella Nude
Michael Kors (I love this one and its heavy yet refreshing "creamy floral" smell, but M. advises that it's not one you want to wear every day)

Still open to:

Stella McCartney Stella
Hermes Voyage (this one has a spicy cardamom scent that it just delicious, there's no other way to describe it, but at the same time it kind of makes me feel like it's a Christmas perfume)

Negative, ghost rider:

The other two Hermes Jardins
D&G
Chanel Allure, Chance, and Coco Mademoiselle
Bulgari Jasmin Noir
Prada
Prada Infusion d'Iris
Burberry Brit (this was actually quite nice but just not me)
Lolita Lempicka (liked but not for me--too vanilla, and I mean that literally and not in the "bland" sense of the word)

M. says that now we've exhausted Sephora as they tend to stock the "mainstream, heavy florals" (I'm paraphrasing her because whether she likes the term or not, she's my expert). Next she's taking me to Bergdorf's to smell the Chanel exclusifs (as I love the idea of having a Chanel perfume, but the ones I've smelled to date, including No. 5, though I'd like to give it another chance, hurt my nose), to Saks, and to a tiny perfumerie in the West Village.

Listen, this may all sound ridiculous, but sometimes you have to have fun with the fact that you live in New York City.

Photo via Anthropologie.

Shimmering eyelids

2010-10-05T13:22:00.000-04:00

I went to Sephora on my lunch break to sniff perfumes (more on that later) and on my way out paused by the Stila display at the front door. I wound up trying on (and falling love with) two exquisitely perfect eyeshadows, Kitten and Cloud. And I also watched the sales girl demonstrate Stila's liquid liner, which pretty much seems ideal and not at all horrible the way both Revlon's and L'Oreal's liquid liners have become. (They used to have nice marker-esque liquid liners, but without changing the name or the price they have subtly ruined them.) So now to set up a Sephora piggy bank on my desk!

I only need to skip ... twenty-four ... cups of coffee to be able to afford them both.

On a more woeful note, I foolishly spritzed Chanel Chance onto my wrist and it won't scrub off and I'm getting a headache.

I so long to fall in love with a Chanel perfume but I don't think it's going to happen.

smart birds

2010-09-30T17:40:00.000-04:00

"...feminist girls may get pleasure from looking at the bodies of their favorite female models while simultaneously rejecting the ways in which women's bodies are textually constructed to be looked at; they might think critically about their own bodies, at the same time holding to the notion that women ought to accept--even celebrate--their own natural body shapes. Such contradictions are characteristic of girls' and women's everyday experience. Girls and women constantly take up contradictory subject positions, taking simultaneously different meanings from/of images, texts and themselves."

~A. Jones (1993)~

Becoming a Girl: Post-structuralist Suggestions for Educational Research

thanks to t.

2010-09-29T11:38:00.000-04:00

walking in to seminar yesterday i see my collegue t. and am literally immediately ecstatic about her new look. it was so fresh and pretty and bold that i had to try it the next day. what was it, you birds ask? it was a mixture of fushia and green makeup that rocked my world.

how tos:

the trick is to do a deep fuschia lip that is MATTE-no shine here-the color speaks for itself without blinding shine or shimmer. then use a blush that is a paler version of the lip but that still pops. don't be shy about putting it on and do it only on the apples of cheeks-this is a very "doll" looking face but it is just fantastic on. last add a swipe of green shadow right near the lash line. yes, green. i know what you are thinking bc i thought that too but i loved it on t. and i tried it on myself (who shys away from green shadow like a mo-fo) and it is awesome. keep the rest of your look simple- a swipe of defining mascara and a muted color palettte on your outfit and this looks fantastic. i felt charming all day long even though it was raining and my hair had frizzed to twice its size. i credit it all to the dynamic insight of t.

my recs:

Covergirl Lipstain in Scarlet Pucker

Ei Solutions Eyshadow in Olive Green

Lancome Color Fever Lipstick in Daring Rose with...

L"Oreal Paris Hip Duos in Gunmetal

Nars Velvet Lip Pencil in Damned with...

Sephora's Picnic in the Park Eyeshadow

All makeup $7-$28 found on drugstore.com or sephora.com

period pieces.

2010-09-27T16:10:00.000-04:00

probably bc i am still coming off my time without jhubbs at home (during which i indulge in period dramas SHAMELESSLY several hours per week) i am feeling period piece jewelry more than ever. it is something about the complexity of bustled, taffeta, multi-print dresses and the simplicity of having one bauble to decorate yourself with and ending it there. in this way outfits had a tendency to highlight two statement pieces and one statment woman(/bird). the more modern versions are intricate and pretty, though none come off as silly and overly-frivolous. i am feeling particularly lusty about the looking glass earrings by kate spade and the majorica three pearl ring; i just can't imagine a holiday outfit that they would not compliment perfectly... and yes, i think about the holidays this early in the year...no judgements, please.

Looking Glass Earrings, neimanmarcus.com, $95

Majorica Three Pearl Ring, nordstroms.com, $134

Rose Pearl Ring, couturecandy.com, $35

Juicy Rose Cluster Ring, Bloomingdales. com $88

Kate Spade, neimanmarcus.com

Pearl and Chain Ring, Topshop, $8

Pearl Dome Ring, topshop.com, $8

Maybe minimalist

2010-09-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

The other day I gave two of my fanciest (they were inexpensive, come on, I'm not a Rockefeller) necklaces to Cole, because she can wear dramatic jewelry sensationally and I can't. I don't know how to make it work. I look at pictures of layered necklaces, of chunky stones, of long pearl strands, of glimmering rhinestones, and I drool, and then I try them on and look like a clown. So they are having a much better time up in Washington Heights with her than they were in my jewelry box gathering dust.

I think maybe I might be a simple jewelry kinda gal. Most days I only wear my wedding and engagement rings. I have three necklaces that I occasionally rotate: a simple gold sunflower charm from Etsy, a birthday gift from my sis; a pearl-and-peridot drop necklace, my first jewelry gift from Chris (it's our birthstones); and a teeny vintage seed pearl on a gold chain that I bought in St. Michael's with my mom for $5. They are simple, and seem to work better on me than anything ornate.

Now I'm looking at the bracelets on Miranda Kerr in this picture, and starting to feel like I'm finding my jewelry style.

Via the beautiful blog Aubrey Road.

Silky fall flowing

2010-09-22T10:09:00.000-04:00

I know I'm trying not to buy fast fashion, but Forever21 has some really pretty stuff right now. I want this dress and this skirt.

Update: gahh! And this scarf!! I must have it!

very bunny

2010-09-22T09:38:00.000-04:00

would it weird you out if i had these on? maybe.

would they make me laugh? mostly.

worth the $16 investment? definitely.

urbanoutfitters.com

chocolate lilac...it's almost like chocolate rain

2010-09-20T14:36:00.000-04:00

as fall inches its way into manhattan i cannot help but feel heady...intellectual but beautiful and for some reason the colors that are doing that for me lately are chocolatey suede and a lilac grey. it doesn't really matter where they are on my person: lilac chiffon blouse and brown suede jacket, lilac tweed flats and chocolate cashmere sweater-it all works for me. however, the easiest and quickest way for me to incorporate it is with nail polish. it gives a flash of those colors unexpectedly and the lilac grey on the nails is particularly nice as a nudey neutral that is significantly less boring than tan. paint away, birds!

PradaMen's Cashmere Sweater in Chocolate
$442, bluefly.com

LC by Lauren Conrad Chiffon Blouse
$29, kohls.com

Lilac Tweed Embellished Flats
$128, bananarepublic.com

Splash of Grenadine
$8, essie.com

Little Brown Dress
$8, essie.com

Velvet Voyeur
$8, essie.com

Mink Muffs
$8, essie.com

Dove - Evolution Commercial

2010-09-12T22:46:00.000-04:00

I am reading Natalie Angier's Women: An Intimate Geography so maybe I am feeling super sharply some the inconsistencies of women's lives and the lived depravity many women feel at not having lived up to something. The thing that concerns me however is: what is it that we haven't lived up to? And it is something that we want? And if not why then do so many woman still feel to twitch, the itch, the nag of something still to do done to themselves? Just food for thought pretty birds. Make sure you are still smart birds as well. Love love love.

Portrait of a Lady

2010-09-03T15:26:00.000-04:00

" Style is a very simple way

of saying complicated things. "

~Jean Cocteau~

Le secret professional

Subway staring

2010-09-02T09:21:00.001-04:00

I haven't done one of these in a while. This morning on the subway I couldn't stop looking at the girl across from me. She had on the simplest, most elegant work outfit:

hair pulled back into a clip
dangling gold circle earrings--kind of new agey and simple
ornate diamond wedding ring, thick and old-fashioned
ivory crocheted sleeveless top
charcoal gray work pants
smooth bronze peep-toe low wedges--almost more like a flat
burgundy toenail polish

She looked polished, feminine, professional, put together, easy. It was inspiring. So often I'm drawn toward fussy clothing, and I really need to restrain myself going forward.

Tastes differ, but here's what not to wear

2010-09-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

Apparently, it is fall fashion week here on pretty bird, or at least, it's fall fashion week in my head. So by now you've picked up on the trends I'm loving--rich, chunky knits; whiskey-colored riding boots; delicate prints--and to that list I can add--military accents, rich camel colored items, Mad Men-esque ladylike dressing, cropped pants, high waisted wide-leg/flare denim, and lush textures like tweed, cordoroy (a word I can never spell), silk, wool, cashmere, and soft knits.

Here are the Fall '10 trends I (so far) cannot get behind:

Skinny cargo pants. Yep, regular cargo pants are not flattering, but NEITHER ARE THE SKINNY ONES. How 'bout you invest in an olive green jacket and get your military groove on that way. Any pants with a bulky pocket on that part of your thigh just aren't meant to make you look good.

Fur. For about two seconds last fall I thought to myself, maybe I'll find a vintage fur or faux fur hat and pretend I'm Lara from Dr. Zhivago...but you know what, even if it's not a recent kill, I just can't embrace wearing fur, even faux fur because it seems to send the same message. I realize I'm a hypocrite because I wear leather and eat meat. I don't know--is there an excellent alternative to leather? Because fake leather feels disgusting and PVC is made with bad chemicals. Whereas with fur, you can wear wool or a puffy coat and get the same warmth. So that means that wearing fur is a purely decorative thing. And that doesn't quite sit right with me, no matter how luxe it looks in a J. Crew catalog.

That being said, I'm even more of a hypocrite because I do want a leopard print belt. Maybe that doesn't count because it's inspired by beauty in nature, and not actually taken from a leopard? Also, just want to clarify that I'm not criticizing anybody else. I think it's a personal decision.

Wearing camel/beige/tan from head to toe.

Chunky sweaters over a chunky full skirt. I don't know, even if you're feeling bloated it seems to me that you don't want to make yourself look quite that WIDE.

I'm sure there are more, but feel free to add to this list :) Cole, I already know how you feel about j***ings.

Drool

2010-09-01T09:55:00.000-04:00

These literally stopped me in my tracks in a store window on my way into work this morning.

I have been adamant that I didn't want to invest in over-the-knee boots (I worry that they're too trendy and will look dated) when in six years I haven't even found a pair of riding boots that suits me. But these ... are definitely worth trying on. And, potentially, saving up for.

Yes, I know my recent posts have been very acquisitive-minded. I'm only this greedy around fall fashion, I swear.

Well hello, Old Navy

2010-08-31T12:12:00.000-04:00

At Old Navy I wear a small. Just saying. You know, in case.

elbow grease

2010-08-31T11:49:00.000-04:00

i must say that elbow grease goes a long way. just look at the difference a little time can make:

now, i must clarify that i honestly prefer the aesthetic of the tarnished tray better, it looks loved and aged and smokey. however, bc the tray that i found was real silver (i paid two dollars!) i had to remove the tarnish bc it will erode both the design of the tray and the silver itself. just thought i would let you know in case you birds ever find one at the flea market that you decide to adopt. also, i kind of can't deny that the polished tray does look beautiful. so shiny.

penn flea market finds

2010-08-31T11:40:00.000-04:00

look! so excited and have to share with people who don't say "oh. but it's old." clearly then you do not get the aesthetic of the thing. as for thrift: I only spent $76 total! check it out:


The Ensemble: Baroque Cream Mirror, Framed Sketch of Vase on Parchment, Octagon Mirror, Tarnished Tray, Weathered Stool, Antique Hideaway Books, Mugs from Old Inns, Glass Jelly Jar with Tin Top.

Closeups of Mirror and Vase Sketch Frames

Sketch of Vase on Parchment

Vintage Jelly Jar with Tin Top and Antique Inn Mugs

Tin Lid for Jelly Jar

Antique Hideaway Books (One says poetry on the front and the other has a picture of Napoleon-love that cranky little bastard)

Tarnished Tray

Printhappy

2010-08-30T10:22:00.000-04:00

I love a good print. (This may not be news to anyone.) So I'm adoring this fall's proliferation of novelty prints. I think the simpler, retro-style prints deserve their own post ... as does my eternal love of florals ... but in the meantime rogue-ish prints like these deliver a fun and much-needed wink in the face of all the beige / army green / chunky knits / and fur that's dominating fall magazine editorials.

All via shopruche.com.

I'll be wearing ribbons in my ... shoes ... this summaaaaaaaaah

2010-08-30T10:09:00.000-04:00

I saw these sneakers in this month's J. Crew catalog. Don't need new sneakers but thought this was a cute idea. So I ordered ivory ribbon shoelaces from eBay for $3.49 including shipping and I'll string them into my black Converse. I'll let you know how they turn out!

Speaking of J. Crew, I really hate to love on it because I'm not a J. Crew girl (so I tell myself, when really I probably am a J. Crew girl, I just hate to be so ... predictable). But I love the styling in their catalogs. It's like Lucky magazine. I come away with 20 outfit ideas from stuff already in my closet, just from looking at the unexpected way they mix colors and textures.

(Bonus points for anyone who gets the reference in this post's title.)

words, words everywhere

2010-08-27T15:53:00.000-04:00

i have always been a girl obsessed with words.

words were my first true passion as could have been foretold when my mother asked child me what i wanted for christmas and i replied, "a dictionary as big as a table like libraries have." needles to say, i have never grown out of it.

now combine that wordlove with my adult love of aesthetics and fashion and what do you get?
another obsession:
objects typically devoid of script that are just dripping with it. i cannot get enough.

Ballet Flats, Top Shop, $34 (Perfectly priced since all Manhattan walking flats die a quick and terrible death.)

Pillow Covers, Restoration Hardware $28-42 (maybe from Santa in lieu of another dictionary?)

Curtains, Anthropologie, $A Ridiculous Sum (but still i lust.)

Magazine Rack, JCPenny $49 (already on this one. and can rationalize it as an organization tool. win win.)

a piece

2010-08-26T14:18:00.000-04:00

oh one piece outfit maker...how i adore thee...

put this on with anything (jeans, ballet flats, dress, white t-shirt, or heels) or put this on with nothing else (oh la la) and it is instantly an outfit. the easiest dressing you'll ever do.

www.bodenusa.com

www.monroeandmain.com

oh charlotte charles...

2010-08-20T17:14:00.000-04:00

i have been watching pushing daisies and am desperate for every next episode but so sad to see it end as well. however, i have decided (mostly last night in a rush of champagne but this truly makes it all the more poignant) that if i could have one tv chateracter's wardrobe and only one, i would pick that of charlotte "chuck" charles:

and quite frankly, in inadvertantly looking up anna friel herself, i might say that i want her off-screen wardrobe as well...

perfect fall dress

2010-08-13T20:25:00.000-04:00

please somebody get engaged, married, plan a trip, have a fancy party, plan a business meeting so i can wear this with knee high cognac boots, electric blue satin heels, a chartreuse cardigan and beat up brown gladiators, with a ton of bangles and long chains, under a blazer respectively...

(also can i just say kudos to jcrew for having the historical appreciation to go back into their archives to find their older prints. genius.)

JEGGINGS

2010-08-10T21:47:00.000-04:00

jeggings. jeggings. jeggings. what can i say about this word that doesn't make me want to throw?

this is all i can say and i truly cannot say it strongly enough:

i HATE this word.
i HATE everyone who perpetuates this word.
i HATE journalists who insist on publishing this word.
you should have your journalist badge taken away.
also you should never be allowed to wear adorable, classic, reporter trench coats anymore. they are officially too good for you if you use this horrid monstrosity of letters smashed together to make the verbal vomit that is JEGGINGS.
i HATE that this word is in my blog, in my mind, in my word, in any part of a reality that i ever have to step into ever.
it is an affront to fashion, to readers, to lexicons, -ists, and -ologies in general.

whoever invented this word deserves to every piece of print bearing this garbageword stuffed down their throats until they choke to death...and i am a pacifist!!!!!!

this is how angry i am about jeggings:

ncej%*&(&*(wiqo5y849375%*)(#657483oqbcysopn uiR!^&*%^&@›ﬁﬂ€$*

nevermore, will i speak this word. please do not, even accidentally, speak it to me. ugh.
need chocolate now.

Internal battle

2010-08-10T11:41:00.000-04:00

Me: Vintage leather creamy brogues on Etsy for only $39! Holy cow, think how many outfits I could make with these!

Other Me: NO. MORE. SHOES.

Me: Come on, these are CLASSIC. You'll wear them for the rest of your life!

Other Me: You just got cognac brogues for your birthday. And you have black and white ones from eBay from the other year.

Me: YEAH, AND you wear those all the time and get compliments every single time! Plus, they're falling apart!

Other Me: So maybe you should wait and get some new black and white ones that you can actually wear in the fall and winter. Are you really going to wear cream-colored brogues in November?

Me: Maybe not....but they'd look SO PRETTY with ALLLL my dresses. Please? Please?

Other Me: Laura. You do not need three pairs of brogues. This is getting out of hand. Put the theoretical $39 in your mental Frye boot fund, and forget about these.

Me: ... (Sniffle) ... I'm trying. I'm trying.

Update:

Other Other Me: Plus, they kind of look like nursing shoes. I'm just sayin'.

feminine fall

2010-08-03T17:34:00.000-04:00

i plan on having a feminine fall. something about leaves falling and soft breezes and the seasonal return of cashmere just makes me feel like a lady. as such what am i coveting? red lipstick, high heels, military jackets and lovely lovely dresses:

Lots of nice finds on Etsy

2010-08-03T17:13:00.000-04:00

Lunchtime musings

2010-07-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

I'm enjoying summer (now that it's reasonable 89 degree heat and regular old humidity, vs the mid-90s/swampy mcswampsalot we had going for a few weeks there) and not looking forward parTICULARLy to fall, but I do like thinking about fall fashion, as the other bird mentioned. Burgundy tights ... brown tweed skirts ... cardigans and brooches ... lovely.

Here's what I'll be watching for in thrift stores:

a plaid coat

lace blouses

simple a-line and pencil skirts with unusual and vivid patterns

cardigans, always

stacked heels (did you see the August Vogue? '70s revivalism is on like ... well, like mid-calf skirts and aviator sunglasses)

a ladylike satchel

watches with a thin leather strap

simple chain jewelry

anything soft gray ... plus navy and dark red

interesting belts

Grandma brooches sold cheaply

and here are the clothes...

2010-07-28T10:58:00.000-04:00

left to right they are: the bethesda fountain dress, the bugle boy dress, the giverny dress, the jitterbug dress, la tour eiffel dress, the liz and darcy dress (must save for this), the rendezvous dress, the tulleries dress...see what i mean about the fantastic names? all at www.shabbyapple.com. enjoy!

not so shabby

2010-07-28T10:52:00.000-04:00

so my oldest friend, h, (oldest as in we've been friends since second grade not like she's decrepit or anything), sent me the link to www.shabbyapple.com, which she discovered through her groupon. and quite frankly, birds, i love it. we'll get to the clothes later but first let's discuss the site and company.

first, i must say that the site is adorable; it takes the time to add the little flourishes that will eventually make me a devotee. also, they have plus size, maternity, and pre-teen lines in addition to their general women's wear which means you can multi-shop the site as your body, or the bodies of those around you, change. third, they donate to a women's charity that helps make third world women financially viable. awesome. fourth, fifth, and sixth pluses are that each dress falls under a category (central park, 1934, paris), comes with an adorable name (aspen, la tour eiffel, liz and darcy...the one i am now lusting after), and they each...wait for it literary birds...come with a hand written story about the mood and moment and lighting and glamour in the air. it is like literary fashion porn. and i think i have an addiction.

however, i have yet to find a size chart that does not come in the form of a fashion quiz and the site takes an interminably long time to load. and yet, i am willing to forgive them bc their price point is super reasonable ($50-130 as far as I saw) and they gave us this free widget for our blog:

 Take the style quiz. Mine was dead on. Listed my style as classic feminine: broaches, lace, secretary blouses, embellishments, loves Anthropologie and Valentino. Well done! And now for the clothes:  <a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFA6ZHLrM6I/AAAAAAAAAdI/9S_oqNBcaCo/s1600/Tulleries" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFA6ZHLrM6I/AAAAAAAAAdI/9S_oqNBcaCo/s320/Tulleries" style="" border="0"></a><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBCsCgoWII/AAAAAAAAAdQ/-1Z_besXyTk/s1600/Bugle+Boy" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBCsCgoWII/AAAAAAAAAdQ/-1Z_besXyTk/s320/Bugle+Boy" style="" border="0"></a><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBCwWmvlNI/AAAAAAAAAdY/h--yO2Z1lS8/s1600/Liz+and+Darcy" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBCwWmvlNI/AAAAAAAAAdY/h--yO2Z1lS8/s320/Liz+and+Darcy" style="" border="0"></a><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBCz8QYgrI/AAAAAAAAAdg/5XQO1Hxhsg4/s1600/La+Tour+Eiffel" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBCz8QYgrI/AAAAAAAAAdg/5XQO1Hxhsg4/s320/La+Tour+Eiffel" style="" border="0"></a><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBC3ZrLJVI/AAAAAAAAAdo/TLM9oYXqCVs/s1600/Bethesda+Fountain" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBC3ZrLJVI/AAAAAAAAAdo/TLM9oYXqCVs/s320/Bethesda+Fountain" style="" border="0"></a><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBC7U2uPdI/AAAAAAAAAdw/n9P-RKaHEgQ/s1600/Giverny" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBC7U2uPdI/AAAAAAAAAdw/n9P-RKaHEgQ/s320/Giverny" style="" border="0"></a><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBC_ZJgO3I/AAAAAAAAAd4/UP4O3sKUi8A/s1600/Rendevous" imageanchor="1"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S2omSQbVTwc/TFBC_ZJgO3I/AAAAAAAAAd4/UP4O3sKUi8A/s320/Rendevous" style="" border="0"></a>

ut-oh...

2010-07-27T18:41:00.000-04:00

so my anniversary is coming up and here is what i am thinking... would it be ridiculous to ask for this as my anniversary present and have it count for, like, THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS, or you know until I die...and just wear it once a year on our day?

is that crazy?

maybe.

but is this creation worth it?

i think so...

jcrew.com

parting ways...in the middle

2010-07-27T18:32:00.000-04:00

so. in the midst of my summer meltdown, right around this time every year actually,

i start to fantasize about fall.

that is right, birds...what am i thinking about in july? not christmas...

AUTUMN...

lovely, breezy, sweater vested, trench-coated autumn.

but, alas, i step outside and feel the wet, thick air all around me and know that i am not there yet. and since i don't want to start my annual autumn beauty fest just yet bc the sun is still so blazing hot that it will turn any lovely chocolate color i put into my hair to a rusty orange and because any makeup that i buy will be tossed in the garbage on the sweat-covered hanky, i have decided to use this month to play with my part in a way that me and my round face never-before dared: the middle part updo. and i must say...it doesn't look half bad, as long as don't do the tight part a la nicole richie-though kudos for you if you can bc it is quite adorable in a swiss miss kind of way.

Hahaha

2010-07-24T19:22:00.000-04:00

I was just trying to list these Steve Madden boots I got on clearance for $40 years ago and I was like, wait, why am I selling THESE? Chris concurred. Although, now that I have one on and one half on, I'm starting to remember why. (Picture Cinderella's stepsisters in reverse...trying to get these things off requires a team of men and horses.) Keeping 'em anyway. Lots of outfits for fall! Shop your closets!

Haha

2010-07-24T18:51:00.000-04:00

I bought this on J. Crew final sale clearance for $30 last year to wear as either a going-away dress from my wedding or to the brunch the next morning...but I never ended up wearing it. I thought it looked funny on me. It's been hanging in my closet and today I decided enough's enough, I'm listing it on eBay.

As I typed the description, mentioning it would make a great eloping dress but could also go to the office with a different colored silk flower, a blazer, and some funky shoes, I thought to myself ... wait a minute. I went and tried it on again, first unpinning the chiffon flower.

Yeah, I'm not selling it. It's adorable!

Slightly overexcited

2010-07-21T09:22:00.000-04:00

I have never in my life wanted anything from West Elm before, and now there are not one but two side tables that I must have someday!

A bookshelf side table! GENIUS!

A tree stump side table! Imagine this as a bedside stand. With a little tiny lamp and a book! Gahh! Adorable!

Ruchie Ruch

2010-07-19T10:52:00.000-04:00

Have you guys checked out ShopRuche.com? Worth keeping in mind :)

julie nolan designs

2010-07-15T14:45:00.000-04:00

so, browsing the bleeker street fair with t, my little bird sis, i came across this designer that i just now love.

her name is julie nolan.

her pieces can be super delicate which is not usually my style but i find as i age (uber gracefully by the way, in case you were wondering) i am liking the texture of delicate things layered and also the option of wearing them alone. i think my wedding ring started this trend for me. she casts molds out of real twigs that she finds in the park and she re-purposes vintage pieces to fit her aesthetic. arty, nature-y, and environmentally friendly...so all around lovely.

little bird t. wants the tourmaline necklace with the gathered drops on the bottom (hint hint to her boy!) and what do i want you ask? i will be saving for the gold twig pinky ring...however, i will not have to save for long bc julie's pieces are incredibly affordable with nothing topping over $100 online. stylish and saavy..i love her! and kudos to the super cool business card too...brava.